RAASAY

To Johnson this, his second island, shone like a redeemed form of the isolate mountains. It turned their “thoughts intirely to another world”.

“This is truly the patriarchal life: this is what we came to find.”

INTERNAL STATEOF MIND

island

MEASUREOF PLEASURE

lotus

LOCALDELIGHT

rasp

THE QUEENOF RAASAY

flora

THE PERFUMEOF RAASAY

skin-so-soft

“WILD MAN”ON THE SPECTRUM BETWEENPROTEUS & DON QUIXOTE

McCruslick

An AirdEVERYONE’SA WINNER

tombolo

Notes: At Dunvegan SJ says he “tasted lotus” and was in danger of “forgetting that he was ever to depart”. It is here he mentions his dream of a seraglio, which Ken places on Scalpay, along with the ideal university. The tombolo is An Aird on the east coast of Skye near Braes, and its smaller mirror point on Raasay, Àird Ghuithais.

BibliographyHomer, The Odyssey, Book IX (The Lotus-eaters)

Inspired by Boswell & Johnson's 1773 journey to the Hebrides, Out of Books is an illustrated guide to Ken Cockburn & Alec Finlay's modern-day interpretation.